1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radiation-shielding container for use in the transportation of radio-pharmaceuticals.
2. Prior Art
Conventional containers usable in such transportation comprise a body and a cap made of a radiation-shielding metal (e.g. lead), a body and a cap made of plastic material which are linked with a radiation-shielding metal (e.g. lead). In the transportation, vials containing radiopharmaceuticals, for instance, formulated into injection solutions, are kept in the above mentioned container, and the joint portion of the body and the cap is sealed by heat or affixed by an adhesive tape so as to prevent any radiation leakage from the container.
Any container for use in the transportation of radiopharmaceuticals shall meet such requirement as non-leakage of radiation beyond tolerance. In addition, the radioactive solution should never leak out of the radiation-shielding container, and even if it would leak out of the container due to damage of the vials or the like during transportation, the radiation-shielding container must have such a mechanism so that the container is not restored to the original state once it is opened. The conventional radiation-shielding containers however do not completely satisfy these requirements.
Furthermore, in diagnostic or therapeutic facilities such as hospitals, there is a demand that the plastic portion and the metal portion of the container should be readily separable for disposal of the containers. It is to be noted that the conventional containers have a disadvantage in that the plastic portion and the metal portion of the container can not be readily separated due to the linkage with lead as mentioned above.